The Story Behind The Linux Penguin Mascot

The Linux operating system has a penguin as a mascot because when the Linux designer Linus Torvalds was visiting the National Zoo & Aquarium in Canberra Australia, as a child, he was bitten by a small penguin.

When Torvalds started his company, he wanted a character that was warm and cuddly that would convey these feelings to his customers. Remembering his childhood mishap, he decided that a slightly fat penguin sitting down after having had a great meal would perfectly fit the bill. This mascot is also called Tux or Torvald's Unix.